Rename Windows Hostname from Command Line

scottalanmiller

If you need to change the hostname of a Windows box from the command line, the wmic tools make this a breeze. Use this pattern.

wmic computersystem where name="%COMPUTERNAME%" call Rename Name="NEW-HOSTNAME"

Using the where name="%COMPUTERNAME%" pattern lets you skip putting in the local machine name. The only piece you need to fill in is what your NEW-HOSTNAME should be.

Confirmed as working on ScreenConnect, too.

JaredBusch

@scottalanmiller said in Rename Windows Hostname from Command Line:

Confirmed as working on ScreenConnect, too.

This is not something I even think about checking. Because if it runs non-interactive from a command prompt or powershell, it can run via screenconnect. Simple as that.

black3dynamite

@scottalanmiller Why not use Rename-Computer instead from PowerShell?

Obsolesce

@black3dynamite said in Rename Windows Hostname from Command Line:

@scottalanmiller Why not use Rename-Computer instead from PowerShell?

That's how I do it... less to type, less to remember, faster than using GUI.

ingmarkoecher

Can I assume that all of the above will not affect domain membership and rename the computer in the domain correctly as well?

Darek Hamann

The PowerShell way will definitely not affect the domain membership. As for the wmic method, I have not tried that a single time to confirm.

scottalanmiller

@ingmarkoecher said in Rename Windows Hostname from Command Line:

Can I assume that all of the above will not affect domain membership and rename the computer in the domain correctly as well?

We used the wmic on a domain, and it worked fine.

EddieJennings

@ingmarkoecher said in Rename Windows Hostname from Command Line:

Can I assume that all of the above will not affect domain membership and rename the computer in the domain correctly as well?

The add-computer cmdlet would be used for domain joining.

gjacobse

The batch file I have for one client is this:

powershell Rename-Computer -NewName "COMPUTER_NAME" -DomainCredential DOMAIN\ADMINUser -Restart

Where COMPUTER_NAME to not exceed the 15 character limit

ETA:
I should add that this batch script start with installing Chocolatey package management tools, then the default applications,